insignia
Americannoun
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a badge or distinguishing mark of office or honor.
a military insignia.
-
a distinguishing mark or sign of anything.
an insignia of mourning.
noun
-
a badge or emblem of membership, office, or dignity
-
a distinguishing sign or mark
Usage
Insignia, originally the plural of Latin insigne, began to be used as a singular in the 18th century, and the plural insignias appeared shortly thereafter. All uses— insignia as a singular or plural and insignias as a plural—are fully standard. The singular insigne still occurs, but insignia is more common.
Etymology
Origin of insignia
1640–50; < Latin, plural of insigne mark, badge, noun use of neuter of insignis distinguished (by a mark); see in- 2, sign
Explanation
An insignia is a badge you wear to show your position or affiliation. If you're an Eagle Scout, you can wear that insignia, or, if you're a Red Sox fan, you might wear the team logo as your insignia. The word insignia includes the word "sign" — an insignia is a sign that shows your connection to some organization. Military officers wear insignias that indicate their rank. When you watch the president of the United States give a speech, you'll see on the lectern the official presidential insignia — the circular seal with the eagle inside.
Vocabulary lists containing insignia
The Things They Carried
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Fallen Angels
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Projekt 1065
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
In the virtual hearing, which lasted five minutes, she said she spoke to a man dressed in a green uniform, stitched with what looked like government insignia, seated in front of an American flag.
From Salon ● May 2, 2026
Platner pleaded ignorance—claiming that he had gotten inked with insignia while drunk and off duty in Croatia, and didn’t understand the horrific context until much later.
From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2026
The lions standing back-to-back are part of the agency's official insignia and are the national emblem of India.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
In its first iteration, Maris’ stellate insignia consisted of silver plastic stars from Party City, placed like tears to match the somber music she made at the time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 2, 2025
Volkheimer’s antic ash-dusted face materializes in front of Werner, his rank insignia partially torn off one shoulder.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
The Enquirer had different management, did not receive Scripps-Howard features and editorials, did not even carry the chain's lighthouse insigne.
From Time Magazine Archive
He kept two Spad pursuit ships, each bearing the number 1, and the famed hat-in-the-ring insigne.
From Time Magazine Archive
The chain editorials that went out from New York to all Scripps-Howard papers were not even sent to the Enquirer; the chain insigne, a lighthouse, did not shine from its pages.
From Time Magazine Archive
Members of the team will have "but one loyalty, one purpose, one distinguishing insigne."
From Time Magazine Archive
“Anybody wearing the fraternity pin,” he added, and touched a blue dot tattooed under his left eye— an insigne, a visible password, by which certain former prison inmates could identify him.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
With the SR-71, the Air Force, taking over high-altitude reconnaissance from the CIA, insisted that markings and insignias be painted on the all-black plane—a ridiculous request.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
The armoured convoys are sporting white triangular insignias, seemingly to distinguish them from hardware used within Ukraine itself.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2024
“These are our favorite things on the planet,” said Stewart, who was heavily involved in developing “Honor Among Thieves,” down to the spells and insignias seen on screen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 31, 2023
The male dancers are clearly wearing uniforms, but Demuth chooses not to include insignias, medals, or other identifying marks.
From Textbooks ● Dec. 21, 2021
She was slim, with black hair that she wore in a bun, jeans, and a denim jacket with peace insignias, “Stop the War” buttons, and red, black, and green liberation patches sewn on.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
